Basic And ‘a la carte’ Cable TV To Be In Place Next Spring

The CRTC says basic – skinny – cable and satellite packages have to be in place by March 1 of next year. Providers will have to offer a basic package priced at $25 month (at least 10 of the channels must be local or regional, including the community channel and the proceedings of the provincial legislature, if available). In addition, an ‘a la carte’ menu of channels you can choose and pay for individually or small bundles of channels will have to be made available. The CRTC ruled last year that consumers should have access to more choice in their cable and satellite packages as well as cheaper basic packages. Critics say consumers may end up paying more for fewer choices, depending on how providers bundle and price individual channels or packages.